Revision as of 14:09, 20 June 2015 by Gcanzalo(talk | contribs)(Created page with "'''Calibration''' is setting machine parameters such that the end effector moves in a horizontal plane and produces prints that are to scale. It is a bit more complex procedur...")
Calibration is setting machine parameters such that the end effector moves in a horizontal plane and produces prints that are to scale. It is a bit more complex procedure for delta style printers as compared to Cartesian printers given the nature of the machine's kinematics. The process is iterative and generally once complete need not be repeated unless something is physically changed on the printer.
Some understanding of nomenclature helps:
Homing is the act of moving the carriages until they each engage their respective limit switch. A properly homed printer will have all the end effectors up near their limit switches and the end effector neatly at (0, 0, z-max).
Printer radius is the length of the base of the right triangle for which a connecting rod is the hypotenuse when the printer is accurately homed.
Z-max or z-max length is the vertical distance between the hot end nozzle and the surface of the glass build platform.
Steps per mm are the number of rotational steps a stepper motor must make to move the linearly mobile member it drives exactly one mm. In the case of the carriage motors, it's the number of steps the motor must make to move the carriage 1mm on the guide rods. For the extruder drive, it's the number of steps the motor must make to move the filament 1mm. In the case of the Athena, those values are all 100 steps/mm. The extruder drive steps per mm may vary from that value.
Calibrating Z-max
File:Athena z max0.JPGThe EEPROM interface with z-max highlighted. Navigate to the EEPROM settings page in Repetier-Server (Settings>
